How life has changed in Dorset

Dorset's population increased by about 19,000 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population reached nearly 370,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Dorset increased by 5.5%, from about 346,000 to 365,000.

The addition of about 19,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Dorset was home to, on average, 1 person per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was similar to the average across the South West

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Dorset

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Dorset increased by three years, from 44 to 47 years.

This area had the third-highest average age in the South West and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 14,000 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just under 9,000.

About 15.0% of people in Dorset are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Dorset by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

Dorset saw the South West's second-largest rise in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just under 1 in 11 (8.9%) households in Dorset had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 7.9% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 25.4% to 24.0%.

Across the region, only Teignbridge saw a greater rise in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents (from 7.7% to 8.7%).

During this period, Dorset went from having the 22nd-highest to the twelfth-highest percentage of households with only adult children living with their parents out of 309 English local authority areas.

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was higher than across the South West

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Disability in Dorset

The percentage of Dorset residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.0% to 3.8% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 7.7%, while the percentage of Dorset residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 89.3% to 88.1%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 3.0% in 2001 to 3.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Dorset

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Dorset was among those who said they had no religion, rising 12.7 points.

In 2011, 27.7% of respondents in Dorset gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 14.9% of those who answered in 2001.

Across the South West, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion and described themselves as having no religion increased from 18.5% to 32.2%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Dorset, 70.8% said they were Christian, compared with 84.0% in 2001. About 0.6% said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, compared with 0.3% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who disclosed a religious affiliation and said they were Muslim increased from 0.2% to 0.4%.

In Dorset, 8.0% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 7.5% in 2001. Across the South West, 7.9% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across England, 7.2% of people did not answer, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

The population that said they had no religion in Dorset increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, South West and Dorset by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Dorset, but at a slower rate than across England.

In Dorset, the proportion of private renting increased from 9.7% in 2001 to 13.7% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Across the South West, the share of privately rented homes increased from 11.1% to 17.0%.

The rate of social housing in Dorset remained close to 12.3%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 75.5% to 71.7%.

Private renting in Dorset increased by 4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Dorset, the South West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Dorset residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.2% to 4.9% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (80.8%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 68.6% in 2001. The percentage of Dorset residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23.2% to 14.2%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Dorset decreased by 3.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Dorset, the South West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More adults are separated from partners

The percentage of adults in Dorset that had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased from 10.4% to 12.0% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over one in two (54.4%) people aged 16 and over said they were married, compared with 58.1% in 2001. The percentage of single people in Dorset increased from 21.9% to 25.1%.

The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 11.0% in 2001 to 12.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 10.6% to 11.6%.

The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner was lower than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Dorset working less than 16 hours increased from 2.2% to 3.3% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over one in nine (11.6%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 14.8% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 2.1% in 2001 to 3.2% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Dorset increased by 1.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Dorset, the South West and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of employment

The percentage of Dorset residents that were employed increased from 49.7% to 50.7% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.7%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were unemployed, compared with 2.0% in 2001. The percentage of Dorset residents that were self-employed increased from 11.7% to 12.7%.

The proportion of employed people increased faster here than the figure for the whole of the South West (which remained close to 52.8%). Across England, the percentage increased from 52.5% to 52.3%.

The rate of employment was lower than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were employed across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Changing household dynamics

The percentage of households in Dorset, which comprised a single parent, increased from 6.7% to 7.6% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in three (35.6%) households had a married couple, compared with 38.5% in 2001. The percentage of households in Dorset, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 7.1% to 8.5%.

The proportion of single-parent households increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.1% in 2001 to 9.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.5% to 10.7%.

The percentage of households with a single-parent was lower than across the South West

Percentage of households that had a single parent across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

The percentage of Dorset residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 2.0% to 2.5% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.0%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 2.0% in 2001 to 2.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 2.1% to 2.4%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Dorset remained close to 2.5%

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Dorset by care, March 2001 and March 2011

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